Hoist elevating means quite often incorporate a handle on the outer end of a skirt the inner end of which carries a pinion within the lower standard of a hoist, the pinion driving a driven pinion carried on one end of a nut which is itself supported by a thrust washer, and the nut engages the threads of a flat sided threaded stem which is non-rotationally movable within the hoist, the flat sides engaging corresponding surfaces in an inner member within the hoist. Our Australian Patent No. 506,744 (or corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,419 or British Patent No. 1,544,071) includes a description of such an arrangement.
Clothes hoists constructed in accordance with the above specifications have been used extensively and are very satisfactory. Ingress of moisture was inhibited, but not entirely prevented, and one object of this invention is to provide improvements whereby ingress of moisture is still further inhibited. Another object is to provide elevating means which embody still further mechanical improvements for the support of the upper standard wherein the axial load thereof can be transferred to a bearing block for a handle skirt, which block is supported by the wall of the lower standard.